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autocracy
a system of government by one person with absolute power.
autocrat
a ruler who has absolute power.
bolshevik
a member of the majority faction of the Russian Social Democratic Party, which was renamed the Communist Party after seizing power in the October Revolution of 1917
bourgeoisie
the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.
(in Marxist contexts) the capitalist class who own most of society's wealth and means of production.
censorship
the act of restricting freedom of expression or freedom of access to ideas or works, usually by governments, and usually to protect the perceived common good; may be related to speech, writings, works of art, religious practices, or military matters
centrally planned economy
also known as a command economy, is an economic system where a government body makes economic decisions regarding the production and distribution of goods.
cheka
secret police (as in a Communist-dominated country) having virtually unrestrained power over life and death
civil war
a war between citizens of the same country
class struggle
a conflict between different social classes, especially (in Marxist ideology) the conflict of interests between the workers and the ruling class in a capitalist society, regarded as inevitably violent
collectivization
an economic policy where all land is taken away from private owners and combined in large, collectively worked farms
command economy
an economic system based on public (state) ownership of property in which government planners decide which goods to produce, how to produce them, and how they should be distributed (for example, at what price they should be sold); also known as a centrally planned economy; usually found in communist states
common good
the good of a community; something that benefits the public health, safety, and/or well-being of society as a whole
communism
a system of society with property vested in the community and each member working for the common benefit according to his or her capacity and receiving according to his or her needs
communist manifesto
written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
The text outlines the relationship between the means of production, relations of production, forces of production, and the mode of production, and posits that changes in society's economic base effect changes in its superstructure.
Also outlined the history of class struggle, proletariat vs bourgeoisie, “workers of the world, unite!”
cooperation
the process of working together to the same end.
coup d’etat
a sudden, violent, and unlawful seizure of power from a government; a coup.
dialectical materialism
Marxist theory: all economies go through stages of development
Traditional economy (simple barter system)
Feudal economy (people work in regimented structure where they cannot leave land → serfs who work for a lord)
Mercantile/imperial system (expand markets and build colonies that funnel raw resources + prop up economy)
Capitalism (exchange of work and ideas, freedom of choice, disadvantaging huge parts of the population)
⭐Scientific socialism (Marx used this to differentiate from utopian socialism, where revolution happens + proletarians take over means of production and provide resources for more than just the elites)
Communism (no longer need gov to decide who gets what, communism envisioned by Marx has never transpired)
dictatorship of the proletariat
The idea that the working class should have full control of its own society.
duma
a legislative body in the ruling assembly of Russia and of some other republics of the former Soviet Union.
elected legislative assembly created by the czar as an example of “social reform” after the 1905 revolution
power was extremely limited: czar still had supreme autocratic power (outlined in fundamental laws of 1906) and could dismiss this assembly and call for elections whenever
emancipation
freeing from restraint, especially legal, social, or political
five year plans
began in 1928: stalin instituted regimented system of production, first two plans focused on improving heavy industry (coal, oil, steel, electricity)
unrealistic targets set, repressive measures for workers drove production. fear was unstilled among workers, as strikers and slow workers would be executed, imprisoned, and sent to gulags
thousands died, wages and housing were terrible, few consumer goods for the people
stakhanovites: named after coal miner who broke record for amount of coal dug up in single shift. these were young communists (pioneers) who went into barren areas and set up new towns + industries from nothing. education systems were introduced.
creches: set up by soviet union so women could work as doctors, scientists, canal diggers, and steel workers
1928-1937 improvements:
coal: 36 million tonnes → 130 million tonnes
iron: 3 million tonnes → 15 million tonnes
oil: 2 million tonnes→ 29 million tonnes
electricity: 5000 million → 36000 million kw
gosplan
1921: state planning commission set up as forecasting agency, tasked with working out inputs and outputs of each industry to meet production targets
responsible for creation + supervision of planning system for five year plans
top-down method of management: senior party officials appointed/dismissed planners and senior managers, more often for political reasons
lion’s share of investment went into expanding heavy industry → soviet citizens sacrifice standard of living for long-term objectives of state
important features
plans always declared completed a year ahead of time
huge new industrial centers contructed from virtually nothing
large projects demonstrated might of new soviet industrial complex
great purge
a brutal political campaign led by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to eliminate dissenting members of the Communist Party and anyone else he considered a threat
gulag
a system of forced labor camps established during Joseph Stalin's reign as dictator of the Soviet Union. The notorious prisons, which incarcerated about 18 million people throughout their history, operated from the 1920s until shortly after Stalin's death in 1953
holodomor
also known as the Great Ukrainian Famine, was a man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. Part of the wider Soviet famine of 1930–1933 which affected the major grain-producing areas of the Soviet Union.
Stalin’s attempt at crushing Ukrainian nationalism
indoctrination
teaching someone to accept a set of beliefs without questioning them.
the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.
kgb
one of the secret police forces of the USSR
created in 1954: Krushchev
committee for state security
responsibilities also included the protection of the country's political leadership, the supervision of border troops, and the general surveillance of the population
kulak
in Russian and Soviet history, a wealthy or prosperous peasant, generally characterized as one who owned a relatively large farm and several head of cattle and horses and who was financially capable of employing hired labour and leasing land
those who did not give up their land willingly were arrested and deported, possibly executed
were used as scapegoats + blamed for hardships
marxism
a radical form of socialism, often called scientific socialism or communism to distinguish it from other socialist ideologies
menshevik
a member of the moderate non-Leninist wing of the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party, opposed to the Bolsheviks and defeated by them after the overthrow of the tsar in 1917
nationalization
the transfer of a major branch of industry or commerce from private to state ownership or control
nep
new economic policy (1921-1928)
This was a policy designed to revive the nation from its economic turmoil, mainly in the area of agriculture.
Reintroduced some limited private ownership of land and business, allowing farmers to sell their surpluses for profit.
Obviously this was a step away from “pure” communism, but Lenin only intended it to be a temporary policy.
It was a pragmatic move by Lenin in order to move the country forward and not plummet back into civil war.
Within a few months, had incredible success.
The famine was gradually eliminated, as well as the speculation of failure.
The state retained control of banking, large industry, transportation and trade
from textbook:
Allowed peasants to own farmland + decide what to produce
Small business owners could buy agricultural products in the country + sell them in cities
Small private businesses could produce and sell consumer goods
State kept control of banking, large industry, transportation, foreign trade
nkvd
one of the secret police forces of the USSR
created in 1924: Stalin
people’s commissariat for internal affairs
main function was to protect the state security of the Soviet Union. This role was accomplished through massive political repression, including authorised murders of many thousands of politicians and citizens, as well as kidnappings, assassinations and mass deportations.
politburo
political bureau, ruling elite of communist party
oppose Stalin’s policy of arresting + executing dissenters → lead to the great purge
under Stalin its powers were reduced compared to the General Secretary. Stalin defeated the Left Opposition led by Trotsky by allying himself with the rightists within the Politburo; Nikolai Bukharin, Aleksey Rykov, and Mikhail Tomsky.
popular discontent
directed at both the regime and the outside world which is regarded as compounding the suffering with indiscriminate sanctions
proletariat
workers or working-class people, regarded collectively (often used with reference to Marxism).
propoganda
exaggeration and misrepresentation of information to rally support for a cause or an issue
art: postcards portrayed the “new Soviet man” and “new Soviet woman”, proclaimed benefits of industrialization + mechanization of agriculture
literature: stories and poems changed to teach communism to children
provisional government
a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse
quota
a fixed share of something that a person or group is entitled to receive or is bound to contribute.
unrealistically set for the five year plan: wanted 20% increase from the previous year
radical
extreme; revolutionary. A radical change in a political regime often rejects the political and economic traditions of the past.
Ex. soviet union
Change desired is moving toward far left of economic spectrum (classless with public ownership of property)
Complete rejection of political + economic traditions of the past
reactionary
tending to oppose change. A reactionary change in a political regime often idealizes the past and accepts economic inequality.
Ex. nazi germany
Change desired is moving toward an idealized past + acceptance of economic inequality
Accepting belief that some people are naturally better than others
red army
Soviet army created by the Communist government after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917
established on January 28, 1918 to oppose the military forces of the new nation's adversaries during the Russian Civil War, especially the various groups collectively known as the White Army
scientific socialism
The original term for Karl Marx’s ideology to separate it from democratic socialism. Its values overlap with communism, but in Marx’s theory, it would progress to a version of communism where government was eliminated.
secret police
Police established by national governments to maintain political and social control. Generally operated independently of the civil police. Particularly notorious examples were the Nazi Gestapo, the Russian KGB, and the East German Stasi.
show trials
a judicial trial held in public with the intention of influencing or satisfying public opinion, rather than of ensuring justice.
surplus value theory
according to Marxist theory: equal to the new value created by workers in excess of their own labor-cost, which is appropriated by the capitalist as profit when products are sold.
what is produced is over and above what is required to survive, which is translated into profit in capitalism.
totalitarianism
a government system that seeks complete control over the public and private lives of its citizens
tsarism
an autocracy, a form of absolute monarchy localised with the Grand Duchy of Moscow and its successor states the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire.
war communism
The economic plan initially applied by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War (1918-1920). Lasted from June 1918 to March 1921. The policy’s chief features were the expropriation of private business and the nationalization of industry through Soviet Russia, and the forced requisition of surplus grain and other food products from the peasantry by the state
These measures negatively affected both agricultural and industrial production. With no incentives to grow surplus grain (since it would just be confiscated), the peasants’ production of it and other crops plummeted, with the result that starvation came to threaten many city dwellers.
In the cities, a large and untrained bureaucracy was hastily created to supervise the newly centralized, state-owned economy, with the result that labour productivity and industrial output plummeted.
By 1921 industrial production had dropped to one-fifth of its prewar levels (i.e., in 1913), and the real wages of urban workers had declined by an estimated two-thirds in just three years.
Uncontrolled inflation rendered paper currency worthless, and so the government had to resort to the exchange and distribution of goods and services without the use of money.
white army
as a common collective name for the armed formations of the White movement and anti-Bolshevik governments during the Russian Civil War. They fought against the Red Army of Soviet Russia
bloody sunday
1905
After initial defeats in the Russo-Japanese War
Protests at the winter palace in saint petersburg
People want to get paid for overtime
Tsar’s guards open fired and killed 500 people
Set the stage for beginning of people hating Tsar
marked a turning point in Russian history, as Russian citizens became more dissatisfied with their government. This lead to the Russian Revolution in 1917, which completely transformed the government structure.
friedrich engels
German philosopher, political theorist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He was also a businessman and Karl Marx's closest friend and collaborator. Family was wealthy and owned large cotton-textile mills in Prussia and England.
One of the authors of The Communist Manifesto
vladmir lenin
radical (left on poli spectrum)
While at university he became involved in politics, and was expelled from Kazan University, so he went to St. Petersburg and studied as an external student. After passing his law exams in 1891, he started practicing law in Samara.
He continued his political involvement and, in 1896, he was arrested and sentenced to three years internal exile in Siberian
In 1902 he published a pamphlet, What Is To Be Done? in which he argued for a party of professional revolutionaries dedicated to the overthrow of Tsarism. He continued to argue the case for a small party of activists with a large fringe of non-party sympathizers and supporters at the Second Congress of the Social Democratic Labour Party held in London in 1903.
Believed that a Central Committee should have the privilege of naming all the local committees of the party. It should have the right to impose its own ready-made rules of party conduct. The Central Committee would be the only thinking element in the party. All other groupings would be its executive limbs—in essence a communist dictatorship.
karl marx
radical (left on poli spectrum)
lived in a period of unrestrained capitalism when exploitation and misery were the lot of the industrial working classes, and it was his and Engels’ humanitarianism and concern for social justice that inspired his work
argued that man had been created different from animals: he is creative, this is his essential nature. However, in the industrial era, man is just automatically producing: he works to earn his wage, but has no tie to the product of his labour at all.
co-wrote The Communist Manifesto (1848) which explained the need for a revolutionary movement to destroy the capitalist order and usher in the ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’.
He argued that social and economic forces, particularly those related to the means of production, determined human thought. He and Engels developed a method of analysis called dialectical materialism, in which they argued, the clash of historical forces leads to inevitable changes in society.
He also called for a communist society to overcome the dehumanizing effect of private property.
Beliefs
violence (unlike reformists)
spontaneous revolution (revolution will manifest itself due to unfair treatment of workers)
anti religion (believed religion was used to control people’s minds and remove passion and intellectual thought)
no private property
internationalism (common bond between workers exploited everywhere → revolution is an international movement to overthrow elites)
“from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs!”
nicholas II
last Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917
family were shot and bayoneted to death by Bolshevik revolutionaries under Yakov Yurovsky
october revolution
the second and last major phase of the Russian Revolution of 1917, in which the Bolshevik Party seized power in Russia, inaugurating the Soviet regime
joseph stalin
radical (left on poli spectrum)
father was cobbler, grew up in modest circumstances. read marxist literature and didn’t graduate, instead devoting his time to the revolutionary movement against tsarism
was not one of the decisive players in the Bolshevik seizure of power in 1917, but he soon rose through the ranks of the party. In 1922, he was made general secretary of the Communist Party, a post not considered particularly significant at the time but which gave him control over appointments and thus allowed him to build up a base of support. After Lenin's death in 1924, he promoted himself as his political heir and gradually outmanoeuvred his rivals. By the late 1920s, he was effectively the dictator of the Soviet Union.
He implemented a series of 5-year plans and collectivized Russian agriculture, often through brutal measures, in order to centralize power.
The Great Purge and Holodomor are also emblematic of his totalitarian rule, in which he used excessive force to achieve his goals of creating a highly productive and industrialized economy.
Literacy in the USSR improved dramatically and it became a superpower.
leon trotsky
A menshevik
Lenin’s choice to succeed him in leading the party after serving in the Red Army
turned the Red Army into a strong fighting force through discipline and through recruiting experienced commanders
boosted morale by travelling to the front lines in an armoured train which encouraged the Bolsheviks to fight even harder
he would disapprove of Stalin’s ideas, methods and rise to power
was exiled and possibly assassinated by Stalin.